Heroine chic can creep up on you. I don’t expect many of our starlets consciously think “superhero!” when they pick their Red Carpet Looks…but I expect a number do think “powerful” or at the least “fierce”. These have that edge to them:

Dianna Agron. Look at that bodice. She told Ryan Seacrest she is wearing “laser cut swans”. (In related news, my new band Laser Cut Swans is making its debut this Friday)

First let’s cover the runners-up. Best Styling Paired with a Boring Dress:

Dianna Agron is so very pretty. But in this picture I really want to see more of the random press girl behind her. If she’d paired boots with that black dress it’d be so cute and heroine chic. Oh, right, Dianna. This dress puts me to sleep. But everything else is flawless:

The great majority of last night’s Emmys fashions fall into the “oh that’s pretty … next” category. With a few exceptions (like January) the dresses didn’t garner much discussion, but here are my top HITS:

Tina Fey in Oscar de La Renta. This look = WOW. Tina is beautiful but her red carpet style tends to be awful (she wore a jumpsuit to the Oscars!!) and this is a complete turnaround. The fit is stunning and she looks amazing. I even like the ponytail. Gives it that little bit of irreverence, a Tina Fey trademark.